Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Ceramic Tile-A Family Friendly Bathroom Flooring

When considering options for bathroom flooring, you will do well to put ceramic tile on your list of possible choices. In the bath where water is ever-present especially in busy homes with children, you need to think about pooling water when getting in and out of the bath as well as the occasional overflowing toilet dilemma.

Safety is another important issue in a bath with so many hard surfaces. Selecting tile with texture, as well as a non-glossy finish are important.

If you are like most people today you don’t want to spend all your leisure time cleaning floors and worrying about whether water will damage the finish. This makes ceramic tile a good solution. It is easy to clean and will withstand a lot of wear. If installed and sealed properly it is one type of bathroom flooring that will give you few worries.

Tile comes in a wide variety of color choices and patterns, as well as a number of sizes. Another way to bring interest to your bathroom flooring is to have the tile layed out in a particular pattern of your choice. Or you could choose to have all the main floor very simple, and then lay a border of different size tile around the edges. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

Grouting also is a factor in design. A tile floor can have very thin grout lines giving it a far smoother contemporary look that just seems to flow. If you like a Country theme....read full article

Monday, September 22, 2008

Small Bathroom Design Tips

Small bathroom ideas for a bathroom remodeling project maytake some time to assemble, but it can make your small bathroom more pleasant and more functional as well.


List specific items you want in your new bathroom, and some of the problems you want to solve by finding small bathroom ideas.


Determine how much of a remodel you are undertaking. You may want to start fresh and do a full remodel, or maybe your small bathroom will benefit with just a small amount of renovation.
Changes you want to make in your bathroom will depend on how it is used, and who uses it.



Your small bathroom design will vary depending on if it is a main bathroom, or a master bath. Each has it's own needs.


The individual needs and age of users is an important factor. In the case of children, height and usage has to be factored in.


You may wish to give a master bath the feeling of a private sanctuary with special amenities such as a shower with massage jets, or a two person soaking tub. Review carefully what you most want in case that space or budget require making one choice over another.


When selecting color choices for your bathroom walls, floor and surfaces, stay with the lighter tones. Lighter colors will brighten the room and add visual space.


Flooring takes up a lot of space in this smaller room and patterns with a lot of detail should be avoided. Vinyl sheeting in one piece with a simple all over pattern is good, as well as larger tiles. When tiling, use grout that is as close in color to tile as possible for less contrast.


A glass shower door rather than a shower curtain adds visual space. A sliding door on a shower consumes less real space than one that swing out into the room.


Utilize light from a window if possible without sacrificing your privacy. Some bathroom windows are placed high enough not to be a problem. If you must cover your window for privacy, keep the window treatment sleek and simple.


Cabinetry should be kept light as well. Install streamlined cabinetry in light tones, preferably closed. Open shelves attract things such as knick knacks. Better to have your storage closed. This gives a unified look, and the eye travels accross it, adding again to visual space. If you are keeping your old cabinetry, consider sanding and re-staining it if it is dark in color. Stains come in wood tones as well as actual colors.


Use towel rings instead or rods. They consume less space and they give a more elegant look to a small bathroom.


If you are not going to use the current fixtures, consider replacing them with smaller models. Many bathroom fixtures are created with small bathroom design in mind. They are scaled down models that serve the same need while conserving space.


Another small bathroom idea, depending on the shape of your bathroom, is corner fixtures. In some specific situations, utilizing corner space is a good option. There are corner bathtubs, corner toilets, and corner pedestal sinks, as well as corner vanities.


When you have put all your small bathroom ideas together, created your design, and finished your bathroom remodel it is time to enjoy and be proud of your new space. Small spaces need to be kept up on a regular basis. A small mess in a small space takes on larger proportions in the mind's eye. Take just five minutes a day to scan the room and quickly put out of sight those things that may have gotten left laying around.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Comparing Shower Head Water Filters

Shower Head Water Filters Compared
By Julie Perry

I wanted to give you some advice about shower head water filters. I compared the five best-selling shower head filters on the market and here's what I found.

Two of the water filters for shower heads, Shower-wise and Paragon, only reduce chlorine by 50%. Yet, the cost of use is higher than that of one brand that does more. But, the biggest problem is that shower head water filters need to remove more than just chlorine.

You see, anytime that water is chlorinated, dangerous toxins called THMs are released. These toxins become airborne in the bathroom. We inhale them and absorb them through our skin. In addition, there are other dangerous contaminants that also become airborne. They are referred to as volatile organic compounds or VOCs.

Only three of the five shower head filters remove VOCs and THMs. So, I narrowed my comparison to include only those three. I started with the most expensive one.

Wellness Enterprises makes water filters for shower heads, as well as for drinking water and the whole house. Their shower head water filters currently cost $249.00. They make only one model and no wand is included, so you cannot easily use it for filling the tub.

Wellness shower head filters are more expensive than the others primarily because of the health claims that they make about their products. Their water filters for shower heads are supposed to support the body's ability to resist bacteria and fungus. In addition, the waters from their shower head filters are supposed to have antioxidant activity, which would be great, if not impossible.

There is no scientific evidence to support any of their claims. I have searched and searched.

While there is reliable research and data indicating that inhalation of THMs and VOCs is hazardous to our health and may even cause cancer, there is nothing that I can find supporting the claims made by Wellness.

The next water filters for shower heads that I want to mention are Jonathan Beauty. I have a lot of respect for the hairdresser whose name is behind these shower head water filters. Before he found another answer, he would recommend that clients shampoo with bottled water, especially before a photo shoot or other important assignment.

My only problem with Jonathan's water filters for shower heads is that we don't have to pay quite that much. $95 is reasonable enough, but we can get shower head filters that do the same thing for $67.99.

The estimated cost per month is $9.25. That's not bad, but we can get water filters for shower heads that, again, do the same thing and pay only $7 per month. My question is why pay more when you don't have to.

This is a situation similar to many others. Jonathan does not himself make his products. Someone else does.

Whenever you can buy anything direct from the manufacturer, you save money. The same is true for shower head water filters. Hopefully, that will help you make the best choice.

Julie Perry graduated with a Diploma in Applied Science and is a fully qualified Naturopath. On her web site http://www.healthysafewater.com - you will find out a practical and simple way to always have fresh, healthy water throughout your home. Learn what to look for in choosing shower head water filters.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julie_Perry
http://EzineArticles.com/?Shower-Head-Water-Filters-Compared&id=1456331